Published: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Cameras will not be needed this winter at the Dunnellon/Marion County Airport. The whooping crane chicks learning how to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida by following Operation Migration's ultralight aircraft will not be coming this year.

Because of budget cuts, the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River will be unable to host the eight birds in this year's flock during the winter. Instead, the chicks will be taken to St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge south of Tallahassee, where they will spend the winter before flying north on their own in the spring.

“It's a combination of things going on right now,” said Chuck Underwood, public affairs officer for U.S. Fish and Wildlife. “The staff has gotten smaller at 'Chass' right now, combined with the sequester and budget cuts and hiring freezes, so they can't support the chicks this year,” he said about the Chassahowitzka refuge.

This is the 13th year that Operation Migration pilots dressed in whooping crane costumes will lead young birds south. And this is the third year that the newest flock of chicks will not fly over the Dunnellon airport, giving the public a glimpse of these rare and endangered birds before winging on to Chassahowitzka, where they normally would stay for the winter.

And there are reasons for that.

The 2011 flock ran into some weather challenges that fall, as well as a licensing issue with the Federal Aviation Administration, that grounded the aircraft and birds in Franklin County, Ala., for an extended time toward the end of the year.

By the time the FAA allowed the aircraft to fly in early 2012, the birds no longer would follow the ultralight planes and it was decided to end the migration in Alabama that year.

Then a change in policy resulted in the 2012 flock — a small flock of six birds, one of which perished — being led to St. Mark's for the winter. That change in policy came about following an earlier tragic loss to the program.

In fall 2006, 18 chicks successfully migrated to Chassahowitzka following the ultralight planes. But the following February, 17 of the chicks were killed when a sudden storm blew up and drowned all the birds except one that was able to escape the top-covered holding pen. That bird later succumbed to predation.

After that massive blow to the program to save these endangered birds, a decision was made to begin splitting large flocks by sending half to St. Mark's and half to Chassahowitzka in hopes of preventing a similar loss.

In the case of small flocks, the policy calls for alternating the wintering site, with the birds going one year to St. Mark's and the following year to Chassahowitzka.

This year's flock is small, so it was supposed to come to Chassahowitzka. But that refuge's budgetary problems resulted in the birds being diverted to St. Mark's.

So, the schoolchildren, birders and those who support the efforts to save this endangered species from extinction who come to the Dunnellon airport each year will have to wait another year.

“I feel badly because I have not seen the folks down there and the friends we have made over the years,” said Liz Condie, Operation Migration's chief operating officer and director of communications and fund development.

“As you probably know, the refuges are not immune to cutbacks. It's difficult for the refuges to allocate the dollars to do what needs to be done.”

What needs to be done is to care for these precious birds over the winter, making sure they have enough to eat and are safe from predators. And that requires daily manpower and resources until the spring, when the birds depart on their own for points north.

Operation Migration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife are two agencies that, combined with others, make up The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), a consortium of government and private agencies from Canada and the United States.

WCEP is working to create an eastern, migrating flock of the endangered cranes to ensure the survival of the species in the event the only existing wild migrating flock, which flies from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, should become diseased or die off.

These birds are very special. Before the whoopers are born, the sound of ultralight aircraft is played near the eggs. After they are born, the birds are fed and cared for by people dressed in whooping crane costumes carrying whooping crane puppets.

No one ever speaks near the birds to prevent them from bonding with humans. The chicks imprint on the ultralights and their costumed pilots, and are trained to follow the aircraft to learn to migrate.

In addition to Operation Migration's efforts, the WCEP conducts two other programs to help revive the species. One is the Direct Autumn Release program, in which juvenile chicks are placed with adult whoopers so the young birds learn to migrate with the adults.

The other program is a non-migrating flock in which the chicks are raised in Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md., and are flown to Louisiana, where they are kept in a pen until they are old enough to be released in the wild. They do not learn to migrate.

But there are only so many whooping crane eggs produced each year at the propagation center, and they must be shared among the various programs.

The goal of the ultralight program is to have a flock of 125 birds, which would include 25 breeding pairs.

Today there are 104 cranes in the program. Others have been killed by nature's predators; some have been shot to death by humans, which is an affront to those who work to save the species.

So far, the surviving birds have only raised four chicks successfully, Condie said. This year, only one has survived thus far.

“Chicks are very vulnerable to predation,” Condie said.

While there have been more chicks hatched, they have not survived. When whoopers abandon a nest, the eggs are gathered up to be hatched by hand.

Whooping crane chicks have white and cinnamon-colored feathers. Adult birds are pure white with black wing tips and legs and have patches of red skin on their faces.

They have lived to age 60 in captivity, one even reaching 90. They are the largest bird in North America, standing 5 feet tall. They weigh 14-17 pounds and their wing span is about 7-8 feet. They fly at about 38 mph but can reach speeds of 70 mph.

They mate for life and, when they reproduce, generally hatch two eggs, but usually only one survives.

In 1941, there were only 15 whooping cranes in North America, where they are indigenous.

<p>Cameras will not be needed this winter at the Dunnellon/Marion County Airport. The whooping crane chicks learning how to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida by following Operation Migration's ultralight aircraft will not be coming this year.</p><p>Because of budget cuts, the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River will be unable to host the eight birds in this year's flock during the winter. Instead, the chicks will be taken to St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge south of Tallahassee, where they will spend the winter before flying north on their own in the spring.</p><p>“It's a combination of things going on right now,” said Chuck Underwood, public affairs officer for U.S. Fish and Wildlife. “The staff has gotten smaller at 'Chass' right now, combined with the sequester and budget cuts and hiring freezes, so they can't support the chicks this year,” he said about the Chassahowitzka refuge.</p><p>This is the 13th year that Operation Migration pilots dressed in whooping crane costumes will lead young birds south. And this is the third year that the newest flock of chicks will not fly over the Dunnellon airport, giving the public a glimpse of these rare and endangered birds before winging on to Chassahowitzka, where they normally would stay for the winter.</p><p>And there are reasons for that.</p><p>The 2011 flock ran into some weather challenges that fall, as well as a licensing issue with the Federal Aviation Administration, that grounded the aircraft and birds in Franklin County, Ala., for an extended time toward the end of the year.</p><p>By the time the FAA allowed the aircraft to fly in early 2012, the birds no longer would follow the ultralight planes and it was decided to end the migration in Alabama that year.</p><p>Then a change in policy resulted in the 2012 flock — a small flock of six birds, one of which perished — being led to St. Mark's for the winter. That change in policy came about following an earlier tragic loss to the program.</p><p>In fall 2006, 18 chicks successfully migrated to Chassahowitzka following the ultralight planes. But the following February, 17 of the chicks were killed when a sudden storm blew up and drowned all the birds except one that was able to escape the top-covered holding pen. That bird later succumbed to predation.</p><p>After that massive blow to the program to save these endangered birds, a decision was made to begin splitting large flocks by sending half to St. Mark's and half to Chassahowitzka in hopes of preventing a similar loss.</p><p>In the case of small flocks, the policy calls for alternating the wintering site, with the birds going one year to St. Mark's and the following year to Chassahowitzka.</p><p>This year's flock is small, so it was supposed to come to Chassahowitzka. But that refuge's budgetary problems resulted in the birds being diverted to St. Mark's.</p><p>So, the schoolchildren, birders and those who support the efforts to save this endangered species from extinction who come to the Dunnellon airport each year will have to wait another year.</p><p>“I feel badly because I have not seen the folks down there and the friends we have made over the years,” said Liz Condie, Operation Migration's chief operating officer and director of communications and fund development.</p><p>“As you probably know, the refuges are not immune to cutbacks. It's difficult for the refuges to allocate the dollars to do what needs to be done.”</p><p>What needs to be done is to care for these precious birds over the winter, making sure they have enough to eat and are safe from predators. And that requires daily manpower and resources until the spring, when the birds depart on their own for points north.</p><p>Operation Migration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife are two agencies that, combined with others, make up The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), a consortium of government and private agencies from Canada and the United States.</p><p>WCEP is working to create an eastern, migrating flock of the endangered cranes to ensure the survival of the species in the event the only existing wild migrating flock, which flies from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, should become diseased or die off.</p><p>These birds are very special. Before the whoopers are born, the sound of ultralight aircraft is played near the eggs. After they are born, the birds are fed and cared for by people dressed in whooping crane costumes carrying whooping crane puppets.</p><p>No one ever speaks near the birds to prevent them from bonding with humans. The chicks imprint on the ultralights and their costumed pilots, and are trained to follow the aircraft to learn to migrate.</p><p>In addition to Operation Migration's efforts, the WCEP conducts two other programs to help revive the species. One is the Direct Autumn Release program, in which juvenile chicks are placed with adult whoopers so the young birds learn to migrate with the adults.</p><p>The other program is a non-migrating flock in which the chicks are raised in Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md., and are flown to Louisiana, where they are kept in a pen until they are old enough to be released in the wild. They do not learn to migrate.</p><p>But there are only so many whooping crane eggs produced each year at the propagation center, and they must be shared among the various programs.</p><p>The goal of the ultralight program is to have a flock of 125 birds, which would include 25 breeding pairs.</p><p>Today there are 104 cranes in the program. Others have been killed by nature's predators; some have been shot to death by humans, which is an affront to those who work to save the species.</p><p>So far, the surviving birds have only raised four chicks successfully, Condie said. This year, only one has survived thus far.</p><p>“Chicks are very vulnerable to predation,” Condie said.</p><p>While there have been more chicks hatched, they have not survived. When whoopers abandon a nest, the eggs are gathered up to be hatched by hand.</p><p>Whooping crane chicks have white and cinnamon-colored feathers. Adult birds are pure white with black wing tips and legs and have patches of red skin on their faces.</p><p>They have lived to age 60 in captivity, one even reaching 90. They are the largest bird in North America, standing 5 feet tall. They weigh 14-17 pounds and their wing span is about 7-8 feet. They fly at about 38 mph but can reach speeds of 70 mph.</p><p>They mate for life and, when they reproduce, generally hatch two eggs, but usually only one survives.</p><p>In 1941, there were only 15 whooping cranes in North America, where they are indigenous.</p><p><i>Contact Susan Latham Carr at 867-4156 or susan.carr@starbanner.com.</i></p>